Street Fighter - Beyond Shadaloo
by Gazmof
Summary: Based during Alpha 3, your usual SF fodder. Main characters include Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Charlie, Cody. Chapter 7 liable to offend. This story is now complete.
1. Enter - The Street Fighter

'Disclaimer:  
Forgot to do this last time. I do not own Street Fighter or any of it's characters. The only thing  
I own here is this story. With that said, enjoy.'  
  
'* - 65,000 Yen - About 500 US Dollars'  
  
Ryu took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, taking in the calm of the area around him. His  
dark brown hair flickering against his white bandana in the wind, the soft sun pouring it's rays  
over the landscape. He could hear birds singing, and people at the bottom of the hill talking,  
shouting, laughing - doing everyday things right there and then. He breathed out and sniffed the  
air. The scent of summer was all around him - spring was hanging on to it's last few days,  
stubbornly holding out as always. He breathed in again, with his eyes still shut, allowing his  
mind to drown out the harsher noises. He focused on the grass rustling against the soft breeze,  
the leaves on trees swaying gently. He breathed out once more and opened his eyes, surveying the  
hilltop he was on. Just below was a small town, and it was about time too. He needed civilisation,  
at least for tonight, and his money was wearing thin. He hadn't been to a tournament for two or  
three weeks. He would usually live off the prize money to continue his travelling, in his quest to  
become stronger, even though it was rare to find a genuinely worthy adversary in such a  
competition. He wished he needn't have to fight opponents with such a lack of dedication, but he  
always stuck by a rule of his: "You will find one challenge in a hundred offers". As long as it  
kept him living his dream, it didn't matter. He broke away from his thought and focused back on  
the town below. It was time for a break.  
  
A short man in a pink martial arts uniform stepped out of the small building that resided by the  
hilltop. He had a thin ponytail going down to his shoulders and was wearing a huge grin on his  
face. He began to kick and punch into the air, as if he were warming up for a fight. Several  
people had just stared and walked along, trying not to make eye contact, but the man didn't seem  
to notice them. He soon stopped and laughed out loud, making his way down the path toward the  
pavement, his grin still as big as ever.  
  
"Hey, you there!" he called, pointing to a group of high school girls who had been staring at  
the dojo he emerged from. "How would you girls like to see some martial arts, eh?" he laughed  
and began to kick the air in a manner which he would have described as 'impressive'. The girls  
all began to giggle, which the man took as a compliment. "How about enrolling in my dojo? I'll  
even give you a two for one deal on your first lesson! How about it?"  
  
"Well, I already know a bit about fighting..." one girl chimed in. She had short, dark brown  
hair and the only variation of her school uniform was a long, white bandana, which flowed  
complimentingly down her shoulders. "I once fought the strongest man EVER and survived!"  
  
The other girls began to giggle.  
  
"Oh, Sakura, that really is getting old, you know..." one laughed. Sakura glared at her friend,  
then the dojo owner bellowed with laughter once again.  
  
"Well, actually I've never seen you before..." he began. "But, if you wish you can fight with  
the strongest man in Japan right here and now!" Sakura's eyes widened.  
  
"Oh, wow!" she exclaimed, dashing past the man and peering through the window of his dojo. "Ryu  
is here!? Right NOW!? Lemme see, lemme see!"  
  
The man was silent and for the first time had stopped grinning. In fact, he looked speechless.  
  
"Uh..." he stammered. "Don't be ridiculous! I was talking about me, Dan Hibiki!" Sakura turned  
in surprise and blushed.  
  
"Oh, sorry!" she said, trying to suppress her giggling. Dan sighed and stared back to the  
pavement, just as a man in a white martial arts unform passed, staring straight at the path  
ahead, never averting his gaze.  
  
"Hey, you!" Dan called over to the passer-by, somewhat hesitantly. "Yeah, you in the white!" Ryu  
turned and looked over to Dan blankly. "You look strong... Well, stronger than the rest of the  
bums 'round here anyway... How about a test of strength? I guarantee you that my Saikyo style is  
unbeatable! It's tried and tested in fact..."  
  
"Sorry, I'm in kind of a hurry..." Ryu replied, beginning to walk again.  
  
"I'll make it worth your while!" Dan exclaimed, rushing in front of Ryu and blocking his way. He  
leaned over and whispered in his ear. "I need all the publicity I can get... School girls aren't  
exactly the best students you can have..." he backed away again and grinned. "How about... If you  
win I'll give you 65,000 Yen!"*  
  
Ryu hesitated, then before he could answer, Sakura rushed up to him and hugged him tightly.  
  
"Ryu! It really IS you!!" she laughed. "I haven't seen you for months! Where have you been?"  
  
"Oh..." Ryu stammered. "Hi there Sakura... How are you?"  
  
"Hey!" Dan interrupted angrily. "You want this money or not?"  
  
"Oh, right..." Ryu murmered, turning to Dan. "Sure, I'll accept."  
  
Dan bellowed with laughter again and jumped back onto the soft grass outside his dojo, assuming  
his fighting pose. Ryu followed suit and calmly walked to face him a few yards away.  
  
"That girl can be the referee!" Dan called, pointing to Sakura. "All right, ready...?" Ryu  
nodded, putting his fists up.  
  
"And... GO!" Sakura shouted, waving a hand to signal the beginning of the fight.  
  
Dan jumped up high over Ryu and landed behind him. Ryu quickly jumped the sweeping kick that  
followed and backflipped away from his opponent.  
  
"Heh..." Dan muttered. "Not bad... Not bad at all!" he leapt towards Ryu again and kicked towards  
his chest. Ryu grabbed Dan's fist and spun him around, sending him flying towards the dojo,  
landing on the grass just in front. Dan sprang back up hesitantly, slightly dizzy. "All right..."  
he coughed. "You've asked for it... It's time to use extreme force...!" he dashed towards his  
adversary, jumped over and landed behind Ryu. "Gadoken!" Quickly, Dan shot his hand in front of  
Ryu as a small orb of light appeared then vanished in an instant.  
  
Ryu stared at Dan blankly, who just grinned. Dan launched a punch at Ryu's face, who again  
caught the attack and spun his opponent to the ground, then launched his fist as Dan's neck,  
stopping just before impact.  
  
"Uh..." Dan mumbled. "You were... Lucky..." Dan helped himself up and hurried off towards the  
dojo. "I won't be a moment!" he called before entering. Ryu stood up and turned to Sakura, who  
was beaming at him.  
  
"I knew you could do it, Ryu!" she cried, rushing towards him.  
  
"Sakura..." he replied. "You seem a lot stronger since we last met. You're still training, I  
hope?" Sakura nodded. "That's good. Keep at it. I look forward to fighting you again."  
  
Dan emerged from the dojo with a large amount of notes stuffed in his hand.  
  
"65-Count it-65,000 Yen..." he grumbled, handing the money over to Ryu, who placed it in a small  
leather pouch, which he then deposited in his small travelling bag.  
  
"Thank you." Ryu answered, bowing. "Your style is certainly... Uh... Different."  
  
"It's Saikyo!" Dan returned. "Would you like to train under me?"  
  
"No, honestly..." Ryu quickly excused himself. "I have to be going."  
  
"Well, well, well..." a gruff, American voice called from behind the group. Ryu turned to see a  
tall, muscular man wearing glasses and a military uniform, covered with a beige jacket. His hair  
was blond and styled oddly, with a few tufts emerging from the front and drooping over his eye.  
Next to him stood the familiar face of Chun-Li. Ryu had met with her several times before, and  
she was a complete contrast to the man standing next to her. She wore a small sleeveless jacket  
which covered a flexible, dark blue undersuit and her hair was, as usual, up in two chignons. "This  
is the man you've worked with before? He's just a circus clown... Performing tricks for high  
school girls? How pathetic..." Ryu growled low in his throat, but did not let his anger show.  
  
"Quiet, Charlie." Chun-Li snapped. She approached Ryu slowly. "Ryu... Long time no see."  
  
"Yeah, it's been a while..." Ryu replied. "What are you doing here in Japan?"  
  
"That's none of your concern." Charlie interrupted, taking Chun-Li's wrist. "Let's go." Chun-Li  
angrily pulled away from her partner's grip and walked closer to Ryu.  
  
"We're tailing one of Shadaloo's top henchmen." she told him. "Reports tell us he's been sighted  
in the area. He's a freelancer."  
  
"Why would he be here?" Ryu asked. "Shadaloo can't be based here..."  
  
"That's what we're trying to determine." Chun-Li continued. "These reports are top secret, we're  
here undercover."  
  
"You don't look it." Ryu answered, glancing at Charlie.  
  
"Well, we're here with some members of the US police force. A criminal escaped, and they asked  
us to help them out."  
  
"As usual though, you had a hidden agenda..." Ryu finished the thought off for her.  
  
"Something like that, yes." Chun-Li paused for a moment. "I was hoping we could use your help..."  
Ryu thought about this for a moment.  
  
"I don't see why not." he concluded. "It'd be good to work with you again."  
  
"Then it's settled!" Chun-Li announced. "I'll fill you in on the details. And this is Charlie."  
Chun-Li extended a hand to her large partner. "He'll be working with us as well." Ryu stepped  
forward and offered Charlie his hand. Charlie just sniffed and walked away. 


	2. The Stage Is Set

"His name's Vega." Chun-Li explained as the three made their way through a field towards Chun-Li's  
campsite. "A Spanish bullfighter and freelance assassin in his spare time. Our sources suggest he's  
here in Japan, working for Shadaloo, but we're still unsure what his mission is, or whether he  
himself has a plan of his own." Ryu nodded to himself, brushing past some corn, his sandals  
becoming dusty from the dirt path they had been travelling on. "I was hoping he could give us  
some info on where Shadaloo is based, and what Bison's plans are for it."  
  
"Makes sense." Ryu answered, staring up at the sky. The path began to slope downwards and he  
could now see dark green tents below. They had almost reached the campsite. Chun-Li lead the way,  
with Ryu in the centre and Charlie menacingly behind.  
  
"So... Ryu, is it?" Charlie began, a slight hiss present in his voice. "I hear you're a  
wandering vagrant. Hardly a lifestyle is it?" Ryu sensed an intimidating glare from Charlie as he  
spoke.  
  
"I do what I have to do." Ryu replied. "It works for me."  
  
The three continued on their journey down the hill when suddenly Charlie stopped. Chun-Li and  
Ryu soon noticed this, and halted also. They turned to see Charlie calmly surveying the landscape,  
as if he was looking for something.  
  
"Charlie?" Chun-Li asked, puzzled. "What's wrong?" Ryu and herself stayed where they were,  
staring at their muscular companion.  
  
Quickly, Charlie turned away from the two and crossed his arms together, causing a discus of  
light to form and sweep through the field of corn, cutting down everything in it's way. It  
eventually dispersed halfway through the field, and from the path it made a girl's leg was  
clearly present. Charlie lunged at the stranger who had been spying on them and picked her up by  
her collar. She was wearing a high school uniform and her hair was a relatively dark brown. She  
opened her dark eyes and struggled to get out of Charlie's grip, but to no avail.  
  
"Let me go, you jerk!" she shouted, trying to kick herself free.  
  
"Sakura?" Ryu called. Sakura stopped struggling and grinned.  
  
"Oh, uh... Hey Ryu..." she murmered a response.  
  
"Ryu..." Chun-Li began. "You know this girl?"  
  
"She's been following us all this way..." Charlie announced, throwing her back into the field.  
"She's a pathetic sight, that's for sure." Sakura growled and helped herself up, brushing the  
dust from her blue skirt.  
  
"Sakura, you shouldn't be here." Ryu scolded his young friend. "This is serious, you shouldn't  
get involved."  
  
"For the first time today Ryu has said something vaguely intelligent." Charlie agreed, looming  
over Sakura. "Have you been listening in?"  
  
"...No..." she hesitantly lied. Charlie growled and grabbed the front of her shirt.  
  
"Dammit, don't play games with me little girl!"  
  
"Hey!" Ryu cried, dashing into the fray. "Let her go!" Charlie smirked and pushed Sakura into  
Ryu's arms.  
  
"Whatever you say, karate boy." Charlie made his way back to the path where Chun-Li was standing.  
  
"You should go back home, Sakura." Ryu told the girl, who made no attempt to escape fro, his  
arms. "This could be dangerous."  
  
"But, Ryu, we have to have a rematch!" she protested. "It's been so long..." Ryu gently let her  
out of his grip so she stood up to face him.  
  
"I really don't have time right now..." he said in response. "I promise that as soon as this is  
over, I'll come back to find you, and then we can rematch." Sakura reluctantly agreed to this.  
  
"Yeah, sure..." she sighed, hanging her head low. "But, it looks to me like you could use my  
help..." Ryu shook his head.  
  
"Sorry Sakura, I can't let anything happen to you." he replied. "Just keep training and I'll see  
you soon, okay?" Sakura nodded, and began to travel back the opposite way on the path. Ryu made  
his way back to his two companions, and they resumed their walk towards the campsite.  
  
*****  
  
The campsite was big, or at least Ryu had thought so. Three huge, dark green tents were standing  
tall, one at each side of the base. They filled the small space of the valley and seemed to triple  
it's size. Soldiers and officers came to and fro, carrying maps, crates, some even had weapons.  
Ryu was slightly shocked, since he had always thought of Japan as a peaceful place, but, then he  
realised that they were after an escaping criminal, and even a potential assassin. It only made  
sense that they would come prepared. Ryu followed Chun-Li and Charlie into the largest of the  
three tents, in the far side of the valley. Inside was a small table in the far corner, where  
Chun-Li proceeded to sit down, with Charlie beside her. Ryu sat down opposite the two of them,  
and noticed on the table a large map, with compasses and stationary standing beside in a small  
pot. Chun-Li took a pencil and pointed to the map, where a red circle had been drawn previously,  
with two arrows pointing away to the right of the circle. The end of each arrow had been circled,  
smaller than the main red one from which they emerged, in blue.  
  
"This is the campsite." Chun-Li explained, waving the pencil at the large red circle. She pointed  
it slightly to Ryu's left before continuing. "This is the town you were just in, and where we  
have just come from." she then went on to explain the two arrows. "Our reports indicate that Vega  
is hiding out in the next town, either to the north, in an abandoned warehouses, or the south.  
We're not quite sure what accomadation he would have there though." she sat up and deposited the  
pencil into the nearby pot. "Here's what I propose." Ryu sat up, listening intently. "Ryu and I  
will go to the north, while Charlie will tackle the south position.  
  
"But, Chun-Li!" Charlie exclaimed, looking shocked. "It'll be dangerous if Vega finds you! I say  
I go with you, and Ryu investigate the south."  
  
"What are you saying?" Chun-Li argued. "Ryu needs one of us with him, he won't know what to do  
if he's alone! Would you rather go with him?" Charlie growled and shook his head, glancing at Ryu.  
  
"Of course not..." he conceded. "Let's go with your plan..."  
  
"Then it's settled. Ryu, you can sleep in the men's tent tonight. We'll leave at six o'clock  
sharp. Get some rest." the three of them stood up as Ryu and Charlie made their way to the exit  
of the tent. "We'll need it..." she whispered.  
  
*****  
  
The moonlight sparkled and glowed gently in the night sky. The hut that stood at the edge of the  
field was washed in a hazy blue colour, a beautiful contrast to it's daylight wood. Vega lay inside,  
staring out of the window. He could only see dense bush and a slight view of grass where the hedge  
would sacrifice it's dense vines. The wood around the windows was peeling off from age, and the  
rest of the hut was covered in debris and rubbish. Vega growled to himself.  
  
"Why must I stay in such a pitiful place?" he asked himself with anger. "This is a peasant's  
dwelling, not fit for one as beautiful as myself!" he turned to the small table beside the bed  
and took the photo which was lying on it's top, the only item there, apart from his metal mask,  
which he would wear to conceal his face, and hide from potential damage. He held it above his face  
and examined the girl it portrayed. She was indeed beautiful. Blonde hair in two long pigtails,  
with deep, innocent eyes that defied the viewer to believe that she still had a soul. Vega  
wondered if she ever did have a soul, or if she really was just the foul spawn of Bison's  
technical nightmare machines. He brushed one of the claws of his glove gently over her face, then  
deposited it back on the table, when he heard a noise on the roof. "Hmm..." he said, smiling  
amusedly. "Here they come..."  
  
A large, burly figure dropped to the floor outside and made his way into the hut as Vega stared  
at the ceiling, seemingly unaware of this entrance. The stranger made his way towards the blonde  
man, who just smiled as he approached.  
  
"Been looking for you, Vega..." the bulky intruder hissed. Vega closed his eyes and smiled.  
  
"Birdie..." he replied. "How nice of you to drop in." Birdie snorted. "Bison sent you?"  
  
"That's right." Birdie revealed, stroking the knuckle on his right hand. "He told me to come  
check on ya..." Vega opened his eyes and continued to stare at the ceiling.  
  
"You can tell him that I don't like being disturbed mid-mission." Vega answered. "Now leave me  
alone before I grow tired of you."  
  
"Alright pretty boy, enough talk!" Birdie snarled. "Where's the girl!?" he aimed a punch towards  
Vega, who quickly counterattacked with a kick to Birdie's unprotected stomach.  
  
"I'm still searching, if you must know." he slowly removed his foot and sat up on the edge of  
the bed. Birdie gasped and fell to the floor, coughing. "Now get out of my sight."  
  
"Damn you!" Birdie cried, swinging a metal chain towards Vega. It wrapped around Vega's arm, and  
Birdie grinned, preparing to pull Vega to the floor. Instead, Vega pulled on the chain and with  
his free arm grabbed Birdie incoming head.  
  
"Like I said..." Vega whispered. "Do this again, and I might want to resign from this task."  
Vega pulled his arm free of Birdie's chain and kicked him in the chest, sending him crashing out  
of the door. He watched from inside as Birdie scrambled to his feet.  
  
"I won't forget this Vega!" he threatened, before hurrying towards the town. Vega smiled to  
himself, removing his claws and placing them gently on the table before lying back on the bed and  
drifting slowly off to sleep. 


	3. Vega Confronted

The morning arrived quickly at the campsite. Ryu was used to an early rise so he had no trouble  
waking himself, and headed straight for the main tent, where Chun-Li was waiting patiently.  
  
"Right on time." Chun-Li greeted as he approached her. "I'd expect no less." Ryu nodded his  
response, looking around for his other teammate.  
  
"Where's Charlie?" he asked. Chun-Li sighed.  
  
"One of the officers told me he took off already." she stared at the ground for a moment, then  
looked back up at Ryu. "I'm sorry, he's not usually like this..." Ryu raised his hand to stop her.  
  
"Honestly, it's okay." he said in reply. "I'm sure we'll finish this mission quite soon anyway,  
you seem to have all the information at your command."  
  
"I wouldn't underestimate anybody under Shadaloo's wing." she answered, taking a photograph out  
of her pocket and handing it to him. "Here's a picture, taken a few months back." Ryu checked  
over the photograph, observing the man known as Vega. He had long blonde hair and wore an  
intimidating mask over his face, presumably made of some kind of metal. Ryu searched his mind for  
reasons Vega may have worn this. To hide a scar? Maybe as some kind of protection. He noted that  
Vega wore three long, slender claws on each hand. Evidently he was involved in some vicious  
fighting, but that didn't really surprise him - he was dealing with Shadaloo after all. "Shall we  
go?" Chun-Li's voice interrupted Ryu's thought pattern, forcing him to look up.  
  
"Ah, yeah, sure." he returned, handing the photograph back to her. Chun-Li pocketed it, then  
lead the way up the opposite side of the valley, where the next town awaited them.  
  
*****  
  
Charlie sighed, staring up at the midday sky. The afternoon was fast approaching and there had  
been no sign of Vega yet. This was a small town, so he would have thought word of a claw weilding  
mad man like Vega would have spread quickly. Charlie yawned, and headed towards the marketplace,  
where stall owners were noisily advertising their goods.  
  
"A bargain at twice the price!" one stall owner, an old man, called out from behind his desk. The  
power of his voice defied his age, this business had clearly been good for him. "Hey, you there!  
That's right, you sonny!" Charlie looked over to the man. "Yes, that's right, you! Looks like  
you're a tourist! How about a nice good luck charm, it's a traditional Japanese design!" Charlie  
surveyed the goods on sale before looking back to the man.  
  
"Have you seen this man?" he asked, showing him the photograph of Vega he had been given at the  
mission briefing. "I've heard he's been seen around here lately." the man examined the photograph  
closely for a moment, adjusting his glasses occasionally to get a better focus.  
  
"Ah, yes, I think so..."  
  
"What!?" Charlie cried, somewhat surprised at this discovery. The old man nodded gently, eying  
Charlie strangely. "Uh... I don't suppose you happen to know where he is, do you?" the man was  
again silent for a moment before answering.  
  
"Uh... Hey, Hinata!" he called over to an elderly woman selling fruit and vegetables. "That  
blonde man from yesterday, you remember?" Hinata paused, then finished her sale before answering.  
  
"Yes." she answered, making her way towards the stall where Charlie stood. "I saw him at that  
abandoned hut on the edge of town. A strange fellow that one, looked like he was wearing spikes  
made of metal on his hands..." Charlie's eyes widened.  
  
"Vega!" he said to himself, putting the photo in his pocket. "Where can I find this hut?" Hinata  
paused again before answering, turning to point further down the street.  
  
"Make your way to the southern edge of town and you'll find a sloping hill. There's an old hut  
built halfway down. Can't miss it. A complete eyesore." Charlie nodded, absorbing the vague  
directions.  
  
"Thank you very much." he said, hurrying down the street, his ambition renewed.  
  
It didn't take long before he had reached the outskirts of the town. The forest of buildings had  
begun to dissapear, and now only a few odd houses were scattered inbetween the view of natural  
surroundings. Charlie made his way down the hill slowly so as not to alert Vega to his presence.  
He tried to stay as low as possible to avoid being seen, yet he saw no hut. Bushes and shrubbery  
broke up the long stretches of grass on the way down, but still no hut. Charlie's hopes began to  
fall, but before he could begin to pursue his thoughts, he heard a distinct rustling to his left.  
He turned quickly and silently, scanning the area cautiously. The only thing he saw was grass and  
scrub. He stared at the bushes for a moment, hesitant as to whether he should continue. Surely  
Vega wasn't prepared, he had no idea that Charlie was after him, unless someone had been leaking  
information to Shadaloo. Charlie continued down the hill, dismissing it as the wind and an  
overactive imagination. Soon enough he heard the sound of movement - fists striking air and  
strangely psychotic giggling. Charlie crouched even lower, making his way towards some bushes  
that loomed over the noise. He could now see the dark, rotting wood of the abandoned hut, along  
with it's resident's limbs as they were launched into the air in preparation for a battle.  
  
"Hmph..." a voice below began to speak. "Another three hours until the plane arrives, then I can  
finally leave this junkyard." Charlie loomed closer, listening intently. The man made a few more  
strikes to the air, then sighed, leaning against the side of the hut. "How I hate to waste my  
time..." Charlie smiled to himself, then jumped down from his hiding place to face the stranger.  
Just as he thought - it was Vega. "And who might you be?" Vega asked calmly, admiring his claws  
in the sunlight. Charlie smirked and adjusted his glasses, assuming a fighting pose.  
  
"Name's Charlie, top agent." he replied proudly. "You're Vega, I presume?" Vega smiled and walked  
towards the newcomer.  
  
"You've done your homework I see... Yes, Bison warned me about you..."  
  
"That's far enough." Charlie growled, clenching his fists tightly. "Surrender or fight. It's your  
choice." Vega just smiled at him, brushing his claw against the other menacingly.  
  
"Well, you have spirit, I'll give you that." he hissed. "Unfortunately for you I have time on my  
hands...!" he jumped behind Charlie and elbowed him in the back. Charlie countered with a  
roundhouse kick to Vega's neck. Vega backflipped, narrowly escaping, then began to laugh. "Your  
attacks are amateur at best!" he mocked. "Last chance. Get out of my sight before I paint your  
face red." Charlie growled, then brushed his arms against each other, causing a disc of light to  
spiral towards his opponent. Vega sidestepped and lunged at Charlie, slicing at his arm and sweep  
kicking him as he passed. Charlie fell to the ground, clutching his arm in pain as the blood  
began to flow over his fingers.  
  
"Dammit..." he cursed, moving to get up when Vega kicked him in the neck and pinned him to the  
ground with his foot. "Ah, shit..." Vega giggled and applied pressure in his foot. Charlie moved  
his right arm and grabbed Vega's heel, causing Vega to lose balance. Charlie rolled onto his back  
and grabbed the same foot with his other arm, spinning his enemy around and throwing him into the  
wall of the hut. Charlie cradled his bleeding arm, dizzily helping himself up from the ground as  
Vega coughed and stood back up.  
  
"It's been fun but play time is over." he announced, dashing towards Charlie. Charlie crouched  
and waited for his target to come closer. Closer, closer, now! With all his strength, Charlie  
launched himself at Vega, spinning in midair to connect his foot with Vega's chin, sending his  
adversary slamming through the roof of the old hut. Dust flew and wood caved in on a bewildered  
Vega. Charlie was crouched on the ground, breathing heavily as the pain in his arm began to  
subside. He knew that it would take more than that, but it was all he had left. The only comfort  
he had now was that he would die as a street fighter. He had accomplished many things in his life,  
and wished he could live to see Bison's demise, but his chances were now looking slim. Just as he  
had predicted, Vega emerged from the hut, covered in dust and small debris. He stared down at the  
injured Charlie, his anger rising and rising as his blood began to boil. "Damn you..." he  
breathed, his voice just rising above a whisper. "You'll pay for this!" he screamed, heading  
straight for Charlie, raising his claws for the kill. Charlie braced himself for the impact,  
trying not to think of which part of his body they'd end up. He closed his eyes tightly, waiting  
for it to happen. But it didn't. He opened his eyes, and saw no Vega. Instead, a young man with  
short, blonde and scruffy hair was looking over Charlie's shoulder, at a floored Vega. The man  
had dark blue eyes and the only distinguishing feature about him was that he wore handcuffs - an  
unusual fashion sense in Charlie's eyes. Vega flipped up onto his feet to face his two attackers,  
breathing heavily. "Ugh..." he managed. "I'd love to play with you, but this has gone on long  
enough! I've got a date to meet. Adieu!"  
  
With that, Vega charged down the hill, not pausing for a moment. Charlie helped himself up and  
assumed his fighting pose once again, unsure whether this new arrival was friend or foe.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked.  
  
"You have an interesting way of saying thank you." the man replied, brushing past him calmly.  
  
"I'm not in the mood for games." Charlie snarled.  
  
"You're name's Charlie, right?" the man interrupted, his face was without expression as he  
stared off into the afternoon sky. "You're a pretty lousy agent if you couldn't even tell I've  
been following you since yesterday..."  
  
"What!?" Chalie growled. "Who the hell are you!?" the man smiled at Charlie, flexing his hands.  
  
"The name's Cody." he answered. Charlie's eyes widened.  
  
"You're the..." he murmered. "You're the escaped convict?" Cody nodded and stared back at the  
sky again. Charlie grabbed the small radio on his belt and began to punch in a dial number.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Cody said calmly, putting his fist to Charlie's neck. "I  
have a proposal to make." Charlie paused and eyed Cody suspiciously.  
  
"...What's that?" Cody smiled again.  
  
"Y'see..." he began. "I'm kinda strapped for cash... And I've gotta get out of the country."  
Charlie knew where this was going. "I heard about your mission and I'm interested. I was just  
going to bribe you out of money, but since I saw that Vega... I realised that he is a worthy  
opponent. I can't let him slip through my fingers."  
  
"Get to the point, dammit." Charlie snapped, preparing to dial the radio again.  
  
"Now I could just knock you out, steal your equipment and head off overseas, but I want to fight  
that Vega. So I'm gonna hop along for the ride. I'm assuming you're following him?" Charlie  
sighed.  
  
"I guess I don't have a choice..." he said, punching in the dial for Chun-Li's radio on his  
communicator. It hissed at him, then a familiar voice answered at the other end.  
  
"Chun-Li here, what's wrong?"  
  
"I found Vega." Charlie answered. "I would've taken him but somebody got in my way." Cody  
sniggered at this, then looked back into the distance.  
  
"Where is he now?"  
  
"He said he's heading for a date. He mentioned something about a plane in three hours... I'm on  
the southern edge of town right now. He was hiding out here."  
  
"We'll be right over." the radio hissed in Charlie's face and Chun-Li ended communication. Cody  
was sitting on the grass, watching as the clouds sailed by. Charlie glared at him and placed the  
radio back on his belt. "Come on." he said firmly, walking towards the ruined hut. "We're  
searching for clues."  
  
"Maybe you are, but I'm not." Cody yawned his answer. "I prefer to let others do the undercover  
work..." Charlie growled and began to search the hut. 


	4. Destination: Vega

By the time Ryu and Chun-Li had arrived, they found Cody sitting peacefully beside the hut,  
whilst Charlie was pacing back and forth, a scrap of paper in his right hand. He seemed to be in  
deep thought, staring at the ground concentrating on something, a troubled look on his face. He  
looked up, noticing the new arrivals.  
  
"We came as soon as we could..." Chun-Li paused mid-sentence, staring at the devastated remains  
of Vega's temporary living quarters. "What... Happened here?"  
  
"Long story." Cody called over, getting to his feet. Chun-Li eyed him suspiciously.  
  
"Who is that?" she questioned Charlie, who handed her the piece of paper he had been holding.  
  
"That's our convict, Cody." he replied. Chun-Li examined the paper as he spoke. "Like he said,  
a long story, and he's coming with us." Chun-Li looked up, shocked.  
  
"He's part of the team now!?" she exclaimed, her voice treading a thin line between anger and  
shock. "Charlie, that's against all regulations, and..." Charlie raised a hand to silence her.  
  
"He helped out against Vega." he explained. "He'll be leaving once we hit Thailand."  
  
"...Thailand?" Ryu repeated, walking towards the two officers.  
  
"Yeah, you have a problem with that Ryu?" Charlie hissed, his voice suddenly flooding with  
contempt.  
  
"No..." Ryu answered sternly. "Fine by me." he walked over towards the hut and leaned against it,  
now thinking to himself, his expression emotionless. Chun-Li went back to checking the paper. It  
had some very scruffy writing, and was a list of countries, some of which had been ticked off with  
a red marker.  
  
"Where did you get this, Charlie?" she asked, keeping her gaze on the smudged letters.  
  
"In Vega's hut right here." he brushed some dust off his jacket as he spoke. "Took me quite a  
while, I can tell you."  
  
"Judging by this..." Chun-Li continued. "Vega's headed for Thailand next... I wonder what he's  
up to..."  
  
"Travelling Asia by the looks of things." Charlie said as Chun-Li pocketed the note. "It's as if  
he's looking for something..."  
  
"Whatever he's up to..." Cody interrupted, walking over to Charlie and Chun-Li. "I'll bet he's  
loaded with cash. How else could he afford all these trips?" Charlie sighed. "I've decided." Cody  
began again. "Once I take him down, I'm 'inheriting' his money."  
  
"Don't push your luck." Charlie snapped in response, waving his fist at the convict threateningly.  
Cody smirked, then noticed Chun-Li's penetrating gaze on him. He turned to her and admired her  
shapely form in response. He turned and walked away smiling, then whistled to himself.  
  
"Charlie!" Chun-Li cried, noticing his wounded arm and examining it. "You're injured! How did  
this happen?" Ryu looked up and broke away from his thoughts, noticing Charlie smiling victoriously  
at him.  
  
"Did I forget to mention that I fought Vega?" he asked, trying not to sound arrogant in front of  
her, but determined to savour his satisfying 'victory' over Ryu.  
  
"Charlie, you should have called for back up!" Chun-Li scolded him, her look of worry now  
becoming a glare.  
  
"There was no need. I almost had him..." he replied. Cody snickered at this, noticed Ryu giving  
him an odd look, then hushed himself. Ryu walked away from the hut and began to walk down the hill.  
  
"Wait!" Chun-Li called, rushing after him. "Where are you going?"  
  
"We'll need to get moving if we want to get to Thailand soon." he answered, stopping in his  
tracks.  
  
"Ah, yes. You're right." she said in reply.  
  
"You can go back to your schoolgirl you know." Charlie shouted over to Ryu. "We can handle it  
from here." Ryu looked back to Chun-Li, waiting for an answer. Chun-Li hesitated for a moment,  
then turned to Charlie.  
  
"I want Ryu with us." she announced. Charlie growled to himself at the sound of this.  
  
"Then let's go, already!" Cody cried, frustrated at the lack of action going on around him.  
  
"Right." Chun-Li agreed. "Follow me, the airport is this way. Charlie, radio the base and tell  
them what's going on. Don't..." she paused for a moment, then turned to Cody. "What was your name  
again?"  
  
"Cody."  
  
"Right... Don't mention Cody, it'll just complicate things."  
  
"Whatever you say, boss." Charlie replied, twisting the dial on his radio handset.  
  
*****  
  
They arrived at the nearest airport within two hours. It was a relatively small one, since they  
were so far from a large city, but it was what they needed, and that was all that mattered. The  
group entered, Cody helping himself to the nearest chair, resting his feet on the arm and yawning  
lazily. He grinned as Ryu sat beside him in silence as Charlie and Chun-Li went to arrange their  
flight.  
  
"Quite a catch, ain't she?" he asked, motioning his head towards Chun-Li, admiring the view of  
her from behind. Ryu was silent, staring at the ground. "What's bugging you, anyway? You've been  
quiet since they mentioned Thailand."  
  
"It's nothing, really." Ryu answered, looking up to stare into space. Cody sat up and watched  
Ryu staring, almost fascinated by him. There was an aura he possessed which would go unnoticed  
amongst a regular person; but to a street fighter, it was a sign of great strength. He seemed  
troubled ever since Cody had laid eyes on him, and he had a feeling it wasn't to do with Thailand,  
or this mission. Something was eating away at him from the inside; something he knew he had to  
face, but wished he could avoid.  
  
"Dammit!" Cody heard Chun-Li cry from the desk at the opposite end of the room. He watched her  
for a moment, before regaining his train of thought and concentrating on Ryu again.  
  
"I used to know a guy like you." Cody said suddenly, breaking Ryu's pattern of thought. Ryu  
looked back at Cody. "Real quiet - kept himself to himself and all that. Heck, he even dressed  
like you come to think of it."  
  
"I may know him." Ryu replied.  
  
"He used the Bushin style." Cody continued. He gave Ryu a modest smile at Ryu's blank look.  
"Surprised a convict like me knows about martial arts?" Ryu hesitated for a moment before  
answering.  
  
"It's not that." he said, turning back to stare into space. He looked over into Cody's lap,  
where he was resting his cuffed hands. "Why do you wear those? You could easily break them off."  
Cody smiled to himself.  
  
"You know your stuff." he responded, raising his hands. He paused, examining them, then headbutted  
the chain connecting them, severing the tie and freeing his arms. "I just wear them to make a  
fight more... Interesting..." Ryu looked shocked.  
  
"You truly are a street fighter..." he muttered under his breath.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't want to give myself an unfair avantage now would I?" he replied cockily. The  
conversation was interrupted by Chun-Li walking towards the two. She sat down beside Ryu and  
sighed, spreading her arms around the back of the chair.  
  
"Well, it looks like Vega's got a headstart." she began. "We just missed him."  
  
"I'm going to get a drink." Charlie said, standing beside them. "You want anything, Chun-Li?"  
Chun-Li shook her head and he walked off towards the vending machines in the far corner.  
  
"How long will we have to wait?" Ryu asked.  
  
"Our flight leaves at one AM, so we'd better get some rest. It's gonna be a long night, that's  
for sure..." 


	5. Arrival at Thailand

The night came and went, and eventually the team arrived at a secluded place in the mountains in  
Thailand's northwest region. It hadn't been a fulfilling night in terms of resting - each member  
had woken and fell asleep several times during the course of the flight, trying to keep track of  
the time, and their arrival. The sun had only just risen, yet already the temperature was rapidly  
rising in anticipation of another new day. Ryu and Cody stood outside the airport gates, waiting  
for Chun-Li and Charlie to finish off the flight details. The sky was a beautiful, clear blue and  
contrasted with the desert reds and yellows of the mountains just beyond.  
  
Eventually Chun-Li, followed by Charlie, emerged from the airport and headed towards the two who  
were waiting outside.  
  
"There's a town in the mountains up ahead." she announced, pointing up towards the horizon. Ryu  
and Cody traced the line of her finger to the mountain summit. Ryu nodded, whilst Cody sighed.  
"Problem, Cody?" Cody shook his head.  
  
"I'm not a mountain climber..." he yawned, clenching and unclenching his hands, the broken chains  
of his handcuffs rattling in time with the motion of his arms.  
  
"Let's get going." Ryu said firmly, leading the way up the path towards the mountain. Chun-Li  
ran after him, causing Charlie to growl slightly underneath his breath. Cody noticed his look of  
anger and smiled to himself, following the pair along the dusty mountain road.  
  
*****  
  
The journey to the summit would have been much easier were it not for the constant beating of the  
sun's heavy rays on them. Ryu was the only one who never needed to stop for a rest, and while  
waiting for the others would just stand and stare at their destination until they were ready. Cody  
stared at him often, wondering whether he was really human or some kind of machine. He rarely  
seemed to show emotion and his expression was always one of determination. He got the feeling that  
Chun-Li was exhausted, but kept herself on her feet, probably to show them that she was tougher  
than she looked. Cody smiled at the thought of this. She was one tough cookie, that was for sure.  
He wondered what motivated her to do what she did. She seemed far too good for her job.  
  
"Almost there!" Chun-Li exclaimed, trying to keep up with Ryu as they continued up the path.  
Charlie kept behind Cody, but didn't seem quite as tired. It wasn't surprising that he still  
didn't trust him. Cody didn't care. As soon as they had beaten Vega, he would go his seperate way.  
  
Ryu paused and looked up. They had reached a large yellow gateway, with ornate black characters  
engraved into it's polished surface. Despite being in such a remote area, it seemed incredibly  
well preserved. He looked down at he sandals. The dust and sand had gripped to the bottom of his  
uniform and sandals.  
  
"Finally." Charlie sighed, walking towards the front of the team and leaning against the gate.  
He rubbed his glasses with the inside of his jacket and readjusted them on his face.  
  
"We'll have to find a place to stay." Chun-Li said, walking underneath the gate and into the  
village, which, she was shocked to see, was completely empty. The houses that faced the path  
through the village were completely silent, and no sign of life could be seen at all. "What the...?"  
  
Ryu followed her inside and stared around, followed quickly by Charlie and Cody, who surveyed the  
sky, staring at the emptiness.  
  
"There's something up ahead." Ryu announced, breaking into a dash past the houses.  
  
"Ryu!" Chun-Li cried after him. "Wait for us!" she began to sprint after him, despite her  
obvious weariness. Both Charlie and Cody tried to follow, but the two were already out of sight.  
  
"Goddamned show-off." Charlie mumbled to himself. This time Cody didn't listen. He continued to  
walk after them both, even though they couldn't be seen.  
  
"This village can't be too big." Cody explained. "Come on." Charlie grunted and grudgingly followed.  
  
*****  
  
Ryu continued to run along the path until he entered a wide open space, where a huge crowd was  
cheering at something in the centre. Chun-Li stopped after him, gasping for breath.  
  
"Ryu..." she breathed. "Why so fast?" she looked up and examined the area, then followed Ryu into  
the heart of the crowd, to see just what they were cheering for.  
  
In the centre of the ring of people was a large arena of light grey stones stacked evenly against  
each other to form a smooth floor for a tournament. A street fighting tournament. The pair watched  
as two contestants battled each other for supremacy, viciously kicking and punching in their attempts  
for victory. One was a large, burly man with scruffy orange hair. The other was a much slimmer,  
but still forboding character, wearing a red martial arts uniform, with blonde hair that was tied  
back into a ponytail down to his waist.  
  
"Shoryuken!" the man in the red shouted, performing a jumping uppercut to the man's chest,  
causing his opponent to fall back onto the hard stone floor, coughing and gasping for breath.  
"Surrender?" the man asked, extending his hand to help the opponent up. The floored man just  
growled and launched a heavy kick towards the other's legs. He helped himself up and grinned. He  
charged headfirst at his enemy, then launched a headbutt towards his chest. The man in red quickly  
sidestepped the assault and launched his elbow into his adversary's unguarded back. The large  
fighter winced in pain and fell again, this time on his stomach. He struggled to get back to his  
feet, then paused and fell down again.  
  
"The winner!" a small referee cried, grabbing the winner's arm and holding it aloft in the air.  
"Mr. Ken Masters!"  
  
"I knew it!" Chun-Li told Ryu. "I knew it was him... I wonder what he's doing here?"  
  
"Knowing Ken..." Ryu began. "It's just a little practise." Chun-Li nodded, and the two watched  
as Ken made his way off the ring and headed towards a large, one-storey wooden building opposite  
the ring. Ryu and Chun-Li both headed out of the crowd and made their way to the building, when  
they were stopped by two small guards. "We're friends of Ke-Mr. Masters." Ryu attempted to explain.  
In response, the two guards just leered at him angrily.  
  
"Ryu?" a voice from inside called. "Is that you, Ryu?" Ken came to the door, a white towel over  
his head.  
  
"Yeah. It's me." Ryu replied.  
  
"Let him through." Ken told the guards, who obeyed and assumed their usual positions at each  
side of the door. He showed his two guests to the humble room he was staying at and closed the  
door behind him.  
  
"So, what brings you back to Thailand, Ryu?" Ken asked. Chun-Li went to the end of the room and  
sat down in a small chair beside the window, taking this opportunity to rest.  
  
"We're tracking a Shadaloo assassin." Ryu explained. "Chun-Li tracked him down to this village  
and asked me to come along." Ken nodded his head vaguely, brushing his hair with the towel in his  
hands.  
  
"Interesting..." he muttered to himself, staring at the floor. He looked up and saw Chun-Li  
staring out of the window. "And are you gonna..." he whispered, leaning closer to Ryu. "You know,  
make you move?" Ryu blushed furiously and stared at his feet, trying to keep Ken from seeing his  
obvious embarrassment. Ken grinned and winked.  
  
"Uh..." Ryu began, regaining control of himself. "I don't think so... Anyway, what brings you  
here?"  
  
"Same as usual, Ryu." Ken replied, sitting down on the bed. "Tournaments, world touring. Same old,  
same old." Ryu nodded.  
  
"You seem to have improved a lot since we last met." Ken nodded at Ryu's remark.  
  
"Well, I do my best..."  
  
Chun-Li stood up and walked towards the exit to Ken's room.  
  
"I'm going to find a place to stay, okay?" she said. Ryu nodded and watched as she leaved the  
room, closing the door behind her. Ken leaned back on the bed and grinned.  
  
"Hoo..." he whistled. "Hot stuff..." Ryu again flushed and looked away.  
  
"Ken..." he growled. "I see you never change..."  
  
*****  
  
Chun-Li walked through the village streets, which were now showing signs of civilisation. Children  
ran past her, laughing, some even imitating Ken's earlier dragon punch. Eventually she came across  
a two storey building, with the capital letters "HOTEL" carved into the sign above the doorway.  
Despite it's advertising, it appeared more like a run-down inn than anything else. Nevertheless,  
it was a place to stay, and Chun-Li had to accept it. She walked inside and noticed Charlie at the  
counter, talking with the keeper of the hotel.  
  
"Charlie!" she called, approaching him. Charlie smiled at her in response.  
  
"I see you found your way here okay." he said. Chun-Li nodded. "I already booked our rooms for  
the night, so you don't have to worry."  
  
"Thank you, Charlie!" she replied. "Oh, and sorry... About running off earlier." Charlie shook  
his head.  
  
"Not at all." he answered her. "You were just investigating - like the job says to do. I'm just  
glad you're alright."  
  
"Well, Ryu was with me, remember?" Charlie frowned, then quickly dissolved it into a smile again.  
  
"Yes, you're right."  
  
"And where's Cody?"  
  
"Already in his room resting up after our 'walk'." Charlie responded. "They only had three rooms,  
so he and Ryu will have to share."  
  
"I'm sure Ryu won't mind." Charlie nodded.  
  
"I'm sure he won't..." Chun-Li stopped leaning on the counter and began to walk to the stairs  
towards her room.  
  
"I'm going to go rest up myself, okay?"  
  
"Last door on the left." Chun-Li thanked him, and made her way upstairs. "Rest easy... Chun-Li..."  
he whispered to himself, smiling. 


	6. Ken's Big Match

The sky was a deep navy as stars slowly appeared amongst the clouds above the mountain village.  
Vega lay back on the bed and smiled to himself, staring at the ceiling. Once again he took the  
photograph from his pocket and examined the beautiful young girl it portrayed. He would often  
wonder why Bison needed such a young and seemingly weak person to be hunted down this desperately,  
but then the assassin in him would blank out the thoughts, and just focus on getting the job done  
quickly and efficiently, so that he could collect his payment and rid himself of this mission. He  
turned his head over to the humble wooden door leading in and out of this room. There was a noise  
coming from behind it, and the handle was slowly turning. It seemed that the uninvited guest was  
attempting to be silent, but was never cut out for stealthy work. Grabbing his mask from the side  
of his bed he elegantly leapt from his sleeping place and crept towards the door, being as quiet  
as he could. The door eventually began to open and a large, muscular figure walked in. His  
breathing seemed heavy, as if he were angry for some reason. The man stared around the room for a  
moment, checking everything carefully from afar. He walked further inside and suddenly heard the  
door close. He quickly turned and within an instant was on the floor, a masked Vega holding him  
by the throat.  
  
"Well if it isn't another one of Bison's henchmen..." Vega whispered. "What do you want Balrog?"  
  
Balrog gasped for breath, signalling Vega to loosen his grip, but still keep a hold on him. His  
gasps soon became angry snarls.  
  
"Dammit Vega, what the hell have you been doing!?" he snorted angrily. Vega put a finger over  
Balrogs mouth and hushed him.  
  
"Don't go waking the residents." Vega replied calmly. "Now, I'll ask you again, why have you come  
here?" Balrog hesitated before answering.  
  
"Ugh... Bison sent me to check on you..." he revealed. "He's angry for you not having reported  
regularly, like the deal said."  
  
"I make my own rules." Vega answered, his voice becoming sharper. "If Bison doesn't like it, he  
can hire someone else."  
  
"Yeah, but..." Balrog began before being interrupted again.  
  
"How quickly does he expect me to find this girl when she could be anywhere in the world at this  
moment in time!?" Vega stood up and walked away as Balrog picked himself up from the ground.  
  
"Well, give me some info so I can report it back to him." he suggested. "That way I don't hafta  
bother you again." Vega turned sharply and pinned Balrog against the wall.  
  
"You tell Bison that I don't appreciate divulging my plans to his cronies!" he growled, then  
softened and stepped back. "I'm making my way west. I'll be stopping in India next." Balrog rubbed  
his neck and nodded his approval.  
  
"Well, okay..." he sighed, making his way towards the exit. "Just remember, you won't like the  
boss when he's angry..." Vega laughed to himself and lay back on the bed again.  
  
"Now get lost." Balrog angrily slammed the door behind him.  
  
*****  
  
The morning sunlight blazed against Chun-Li's room windows. She blinked and slowly began to open  
her eyes as details and memories flooded back to her in preparation for the new day.  
  
"Mmmm..." she mumbled to herself, closing her eyes again and spreading her arms out across the  
quilt, taking comfort in the soft material that surrounded her. The realisation of her occupation  
and status suddenly hit her once again and she groaned, making her way out of bed. She headed for  
the small bedside cabinet opposite her and took her hair brush, examining herself in the mirror.  
Two beautiful dark eyes stared back at her, beginning to shake off their weariness the end of  
sleep had brought them. She shook her head and began to organise her long hair back into the  
formal design she usually wore it. Once finished, she headed over to the window and stared out  
over the town. Like yesterday, it was desolate, but surely they wouldn't have started the  
tournament at this time of the day, not this early. She gasped and rushed back to the cabinet,  
where her watch lay, ticking quietly. "Ten thirty!?" she exclaimed to herself, suddenly realising  
she had overslept. Sleeping in was a rarity for Chun-Li - she was almost always on call for her  
military duty, and if not, she would usually be up early, training. Hurriedly she got changed out  
of her nightgown and prepared herself into her uniform.  
  
Quickly opening and locking the door to her room behind her, Chun-Li headed downstairs and  
through the hotel's entrance doors, to be greeted by a large bunch of roses. She stared at them  
in silence for a moment, puzzled, then watched as they were lowered to reveal the face of the  
person who was holding them. Charlie smiled at her and adjusted his glasses.  
  
"Good morning, m'lady." he greeted, extending the bouquet towards the stunned Chun-Li, who  
slowly accepted them.  
  
"Uh..." she murmered in response. "Ch-Charlie... I..."  
  
"It's nothing." Charlie replied. "Just a little gift I got for you. I thought you seemed tired  
from this mission, and it seems I was right." Chun-Li stared at the flowers, then back to Charlie.  
  
"Thank you..." she said timidly, quickly turning back into the hotel to hide her blushing. "I'll  
just go and put them in some water!" Charlie smiled after her and leaned against the wall of the  
building opposite the hotel, waiting for her to return.  
  
"Let's see you top that, Ryu..." he whispered to himself.  
  
*****  
  
"So Ken, are you ready for your next big fight?" Ryu asked sarcastically.  
  
"Hey, it brings in the money, okay?" Ken responded, lightly punching Ryu in the arm. "After this  
tournament is over we can have a match of our own." Ryu nodded his approval and the two headed  
towards the ring, where a crowd had already gathered. As they walked past, a tall, graceful figure  
wrapped in a dull, beige cloak smiled to himself, his mind entirely focused on the day's upcoming  
events.  
  
"A street fighting tournament will be the perfect way to find her..." he chuckled to himself.  
"From that ring I'll be able to not only check on the other competitors but also have a view of  
the crowd... Ha, Vega, you're a genius!" he giggled to himself, then quickly stopped before the  
public around him would notice. He headed towards a small desk beside the house where the fighters  
were staying. Two old men dressed in grey cloth representing the tournament's uniform smiled back  
at the concealed stranger.  
  
"What can I do for you there, sonny?" the taller one asked as the other, shorter one checked a  
list of the day's upcoming fights.  
  
"Who is fighting next?" Vega asked sharply. The old man blinked at him, slightly shocked at his  
apparant hostility, but checked the list anyway.  
  
"...Well, it's..." he began. "Mr. Masters against the 'Yellow Star' wrestler..." Vega smirked to  
himself at the sound of this new information.  
  
"Masters, eh?" he sneered. "I would like to nominate myself to replace this Star character..."  
the old man's eyes widened.  
  
"You can't do that!" he protested. "What are you, crazy?" Vega ignored him and headed towards the  
house entrance to find the competitor. "Hey! Guards, stop him!" the two large guards blocked Vega's  
route and snarled at him.  
  
"You'll wish you hadn't done that..." Vega whispered before punching the left guard in the gut and  
roundhouse kicking him in the head, causing him to slam against the wall unconcious. The other  
guard paniced at the sight of this and backed away from Vega, who was eyeing him fiercely.  
  
"Uh..." the old man hesitated. "Go right ahead... Sir...!"  
  
"Thank you." Vega laughed and walked inside.  
  
*****  
  
Chun-Li and Charlie both continued down the dusty village path towards the fighting arena, where  
Chun-Li had been told Ryu and Cody had both gone to earlier.  
  
"Where do you think Vega could be?" she asked, sighing. Charlie looked back down at her.  
  
"We'll find him." he replied. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine." Chun-Li yawned and nodded  
as they turned the corner, the huge crowd evident in front of them.  
  
"Now, your attention, please!" the referee called, attempting to quieten the crowd, but to no  
avail. Chun-Li and Charlie headed to the front of the crowd so that they could see the fight, and  
the rest of the crowd, more easily.  
  
"Sleeping beauty awakes, I see." a familiar voice said to their right. Chun-Li and Charlie both  
turned their heads to see Cody grinning at them.  
  
"When are you leaving us again?" Charlie growled. "I think you're outstaying your welcome..." Cody  
again grinned at them both and turned to the arena as Ken climbed up into the ring, waving at Ryu  
before heading to his place in the ring.  
  
"And now, Mr. Masters's opponent... The 'Yell--What?" the referee stared as a cloaked figure  
stepped up onto the ring, giggling, softly at first, then gradually becoming louder.  
  
"There's been a change in the schedule." the masked fighter announced, the crowd now completely  
silent. He paused and stared at Ken across the ring. "I've heard of you, Masters..." Ken eyed his  
new opponent with caution and assumed a fighting pose, ready to defend himself against an attack.  
  
"You can't do that!" the referee shouted, launching himself at the masked stranger, who kicked  
him off the ring with ease, causing the entire crowd to gasp.  
  
"Alright, that's enough!" Ken shouted, his anger building up inside of him. "The only person  
you'll be fighting now is me!" his opponent smiled in response.  
  
"With pleasure..."  
  
Hesitating at first, Ken launched himself at his new adversary, who quickly threw his beige cloak  
towards him and sidestepped. Ken fell forward, surprised at this move, trying to get the sheet off  
him. Chun-Li and Charlie both gasped as they saw who the newcomer was.  
  
"Vega!" Chun-Li cried. Vega turned and noticed Chun-Li, then the two who he had fought earlier in  
Japan, Cody and Charlie.  
  
"Dammit..." he growled. "How'd they get here?"  
  
"Bad move!" Ken screamed, launching a punch to Vega's cheek, causing his mask to fly from his face  
and land on the ground nearby. Vega growled at this, and jumped over Ken, landing and turning to  
face Ken's back. He smiled as he grabbed Ken by the neck and swung his foot around into his  
stomach. Ken gasped for air as Ken kicked him three more times, releasing his neck and kneeing him  
in the back as he fell. He crashed and rolled over the edge of the ring, breathing heavily.  
  
"Ken!" Ryu called, rushing over to his friend, who opened his eyes weakly.  
  
"Guess I need... More training..." he breathed. Ryu growled and jumped up to the ring, where Vega  
was surveying the crowd.  
  
"Vega!" he shouted. Vega turned and smiled. During the commotion he had replaced his mask.  
  
"Another one?" he replied, laughing. "Well, come on then, little man. Show me what you've got!"  
Ryu braced himself and assumed a fighting pose. The wind swept through the arena, blowing his  
headband wildly as he placed his hands together. He began to focus his energy, when he suddenly  
noticed Charlie climbing up into the ring, followed by Cody.  
  
"I've got you now Vega!" Charlie exclaimed, rushing towards Vega. Ryu growled - thanks to Charlie's  
interference he had lost his concentration, and their best chance to catch the assassin.  
  
As much as Vega would have hated to admit it, he had no chance against four street fighters of  
this calibre. He turned and leapt over the crowd, dashing away from the arena.  
  
"You're not getting away this time!" Charlie called after him, hurrying through the confused crowd  
as Ryu and Cody just stared as he left. Ryu clenched his fist, trying to control his frustration.  
  
*****  
  
"Come back here Vega!" Charlie cried. He was no match in speed for Vega. He just had to hope his  
enemy would make a mistake. This was his one big chance to prove himself to Chun-Li. Vega turned  
his head, watching Charlie pursue him.  
  
"I'll never lose him at this rate..." he cursed, looking back in front of him. He paused, then  
smiled to himself, lowering his gaze to the belt he was wearing. He took a small blade from it  
and turned as Charlie closed in on him. He was mere yards away when Vega threw the knife towards  
his unsuspecting foe. Charlie crossed his arms to cover his face as the projectile shot past him,  
slicing against his skin as it went. He was lucky to not have had it dig into him. He fell to the  
floor, clutching his wounded arm in agony. "Looks like I win round two aswell!" Vega cackled before  
sprinting away further into the mountain. 


	7. Ryu's Justice

Ken slowly opened his eyes to find himself back in his temporary tournament accommodation, lying  
in bed. He turned his neck slowly to find Ryu at his side.  
  
"Finally awake?" he asked. Ken wearily nodded, his head was pounding.  
  
"Guess I need more training..." he murmered, turning his head towards the opposite wall, where  
an open window was letting a gentle breeze flow into the room. "So..." he began again, turning  
back to face Ryu. "That was the guy you were after, huh?" Ryu nodded solemnly.  
  
"Vega..." he replied, more to himself than anyone else. Ken blinked, then managed a smile.  
  
"You almost had him, there..." he said. Ryu looked back at him, his face still expressionless.  
"If it weren't for that guy jumping in..." Ryu clenched his right fist, but tried not to show his  
anger to Ken.  
  
"I don't understand what he's playing at." Ryu hissed slightly, remembering Charlie's interference  
before Ryu had the chance to summon his fireball towards Vega. "He always seems determined to  
better me... But why?"  
  
"I think it has something to do with a certain lady of yours." Ken chuckled slightly as he spoke.  
Ryu's eyes widened and he stared back at his friend, trying to look bewildered.  
  
"I..." he muttered. "I don't know what you're talking about!" Ken smiled to himself.  
  
"You do." he answered smugly. Ryu stared at his feet, beginning to blush slightly. Now that he  
thought about it, it made a lot of sense. Charlie always seemed to be harsh to him, regardless of  
what he did. Chun-Li always seemed to defend Ryu. Perhaps Ken was right. Perhaps Charlie was  
jealous of Chun-Li and Ryu. But Ryu didn't see why he should be. She was very beautiful, but he  
could never imagine the two of them together... Romantically... She always seemed too focused on  
her job to be interested in that sort of thing. Besides, Ryu didn't have time for anything other  
than training. He wanted to know what this anger was burning inside of him. It wasn't because of  
Charlie, or any of the opponents he had faced. Something dark, possibly evil, was bubbling deep  
within his soul, and it scared him. He would often be plagued by nightmares, visions of someone  
who also knew his style, but had made it corrupt. When he had faced Vega in the ring, the fireball  
he was forming within his hands felt different somehow - darker than usual, and far, far more  
powerful than what he could usually create. He remembered feeling angry, seeing his good friend  
badly injured. He had to avenge Ken, and he would have done, if it weren't for Charlie's  
interference.  
  
"Charlie..." he growled softly, clenching and unclenching his right fist again.  
  
"Speaking of him, where is he anyway?" Ken asked.  
  
"He ran off after Vega, and came back with a wounded arm." Ryu informed his friend. "Chun-Li  
offered to help him but he insisted he could take care of himself. He's probably at the hotel  
right now." Ken nodded, slowly.  
  
"Ryu, I'm feeling fine." Ken began. "You should go and find some more clues on Vega's location."  
Ryu shook his head.  
  
"It doesn't matter anymore." he sighed, leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling.  
"Nothing matters. I should just leave this place while I still can. Perhaps I could leave Chun-Li  
a note and just continue on my journey..."  
  
"Don't even think about it!" Ken shouted, suddenly breaking down into a cough and leaning back in  
bed. He paused and took a sip of water from the side before continuing. "If you leave now, where  
will that leave her? That'd be real big of you, Ryu!" Ryu stared back into Ken's eyes, unsure as  
to how to respond. He stood up and turned away.  
  
"She's better off without me." he answered. Ken growled.  
  
"The Ryu I know would never give up until he achieved his goals." Ryu turned back to his friend  
and former sparring partner, his face again blank, shrouded in thought. "She needs you. Those two  
can't catch Vega alone." Ryu stayed silent and stared at the floor. "And imagine if Vega got his  
hands on her..." Ryu's face darted up, a look of worry suddenly appearing. "And you did nothing to  
help..."  
  
"I..." Ryu breathed, his voice swiftly turning to a low growl. "I could never forgive myself..."  
  
"Exactly." Ken said, nodding. Ryu headed for the door and turned back before opening it.  
  
"Do you want me stay here with you?" Ken smiled back at him.  
  
"Someone else needs you more than I do." Ryu nodded, and left the room, closing the door behind  
him.  
  
He began to walk through the fighter's house, guards occassionally hurrying past as he stared at  
the floor, losing himself in his thoughts and emotions. He thought about Chun-Li, and all the  
things she had done for him in the past. He remembered their first encounter, her beautiful dark  
eyes filled with ambition and determination. He would later discover her tragic history, and why  
she fought against Bison's Shadaloo organisation by any means possible. It seemed that she had  
almost reached her goal - they had surrounded Vega, but thanks to Charlie's attempts to be the  
hero, he had escaped, and injured two of their allies in the process. Again Ryu felt a surge of  
anger burn through his body, but it was different from the feeling of dread that the recent  
nightmares had given him. This time, it seemed to be Charlie who was causing it, but was it anger,  
hatred, jealousy? Ryu didn't know, and he didn't wish to go out of his way to find out. He did  
know one thing though - he was going to check on Chun-Li, and make sure she was alright. He  
looked up and began to walk faster, soon breaking into a run towards the hotel.  
  
*****  
  
Vega cursed to himself. The sky was already becoming dark as night began to fell over the mountain  
range. He stared up to the stars, looking for answers to his mission. He wanted to quit right now  
and be done with it, but being in such close proximity to Shadaloo's base, he knew that would be  
impossible. He wondered why he even took such a mission in the first place, then realised that if  
he had refused, Bison would have merely forced him to anyway. Although it made it him feel sick,  
the fact was that Bison could destroy him with ease. Vega stood up and climbed a small pile of  
boulders, looking out over the mountains and back towards the village from which he had fled.  
  
"Damn those pests." he hissed to himself, admiring the illumination of the village houses. "I'll  
need to return to collect my belongings... I was a fool! Why didn't I keep them with me!?" he  
sighed, realising that regretting such things was pointless - he had the perfect opportunity now  
to sneak in unnoticed. They will have been tired from the chase, and not expecting him to return  
so soon. He smiled to himself and replaced his mask, then leapt from the boulder and dashed toward  
the village.  
  
*****  
  
Charlie stared down at his now bandaged arm and sighed. He was seething with fury. If it weren't  
for Ryu, none of this would have happened. Charlie could have fought Vega, defeated him and Chun-Li  
would be left all to himself. He growled to himself, then slammed his fist on the table. Wincing,  
he endured the sharp pain that shot through his arm as a result. He looked up as he heard a gentle  
knocking on the door.  
  
"Come in. It's open." he called blankly. The door slowly creeped open and Chun-Li emerged, closing  
it behind her before making her way to Charlie, who was sitting up on the edge of his bed. He  
stood up and took something from the table, walking to the edge of the room.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked, standing beside the bed, her eyes filled with concern.  
  
"I'm fine." he sighed in response. "Just a scratch." he turned back to her as he leaned back  
against the door. "Please..." he said, motioning towards the bed. "Have a seat." Chun-Li paused,  
then sat down on the side of the bed, staring at the wall.  
  
"You seemed upset earlier..." she murmered, not noticing Charlie turning his room key into the  
door and locking it tight. He pulled it out again and clutched it in his hand firmly, then made  
his way to the small window facing Chun-Li's back.  
  
"Honestly, I'm fine." he replied, taking the key and dropping it from the second storey. He  
smiled to himself as he watched it tumble down into the dusty alley outside the hotel. He closed  
the window, then continued to speak. "Why do you ask?" Chun-Li hesitated before answering.  
  
"You just seemed..." she began. "Preoccupied..." Charlie growled and slammed his fist against the  
wall. Chun-Li jumped and turned to face him.  
  
"How else do you expect me to feel!?" he shouted, his voice burning in anger.  
  
"Charlie, please..." she stammered, watching him retract his fist to his side. He adjusted his  
glasses and turned to face her as she walked to the other side of the bed that seperated them and  
sat down again, this time facing him.  
  
"It's that damned Ryu!" Charlie exclaimed, clenching his fists. "If it weren't for him...!"  
Chun-Li stared at him, confused.  
  
"But..." she muttered. "What has Ryu done?" Charlie scowled to himself, staring at the wall  
behind Chun-Li, trying not to make eye contact with her. He had to forget her innocence. She  
wanted Ryu now - nothing he could say or do would change that. Again he growled as the rage built  
up inside of him and he thought of the two of them together: smiling, laughing, hugging... Making  
love. The last of his reasoning snapped in an instant, as the anger rushed over him. He became  
expressionless, and continued to stare just past Chun-Li. A twisted smile emerged on his face.  
"Charlie! Answer me!"  
  
Suddenly, Charlie grabbed her by the throat and pushed her against the bed, fumbling with the  
back of her uniform and tearing at the back strap of her bra. He hissed in frustration, then  
snapped it and began to tear at her jacket.  
  
"Charlie!!" Chun-Li screamed, shocked and somewhat horrified at what he was trying to do. "Get  
off me! What are you doing!?"  
  
"Shut the hell up!!" he snapped, ripping the left part of her jacket off and exposing her  
undersuit. He tore at the fabric and threw the bra behind him, then smiled as he admired his  
handiwork. Chun-Li began to struggle, realising that Charlie wasn't joking around. She attempted  
to kick at him but her legs were trapped underneath his. She clawed at his back, trying desperately  
to bring this to an end, but to no avail. Charlie pushed her head down and kissed her forcefully,  
almost suffocating her. With his spare hand he began to trace down her body towards her hips,  
tugging at the close-fitting material in an attempt to relieve her of her clothes. "I'm gonna  
enjoy this..." he hissed as her clothing began to tear under the force of his strong fingers. He  
stopped kissing her to concentrate on his current task, when she spat in his face. Again, anger  
surged through him and he slapped her across the face. "Little bitch..." he said, glaring at her.  
He began to smile as tears emerged from her horrified eyes. "Good... That only makes it more  
exciting..." he taunted, beginning to remove the bottom part of her suit. She stared up at him,  
then noticed his bandaged arm. She grabbed it with one of her hands and scratched against it,  
deepening her grip and penetrating the clumsily tied material. Charlie screamed in pain and clutched  
his arm, allowing Chun-Li to free her legs and kick him back into the wall. Stunned, he looked back  
at her and quickly tried to counter her oncoming assault, but with no luck. Chun-Li paused at  
first, then launched herself towards him, her right leg connecting with his stomach, then striking  
him continuously in the neck, chest, gut and crotch.  
  
"Senretsukyaku!" she cried amongst her tears, repeatedly kicking him against the window. She  
paused for a second, then with one final kick to the face, Charlie smashed through the wall and  
down into the alley below, spewing blood from his mouth as he went. There was a bang on the door,  
as shouting was heard from the other side.  
  
"Chun-Li!!" Ryu called desperately. "Chun-Li, are you there!?" Chun-Li fell to her knees and  
sobbed, unable to bring herself to look down at the bloodied man who had tried to rape her. She  
felt responsible for his actions, in a way which not even she could understand. The banging from  
outside became louder, as Ryu charged through the door, smashing it down to find the half naked  
Chun-Li crying on the floor. He hurried over and knelt down beside her, his guilt unbearable, but  
he knew he had to be here for her as she rested her head against his chest, still weeping.  
  
Below the room, Charlie slowly crawled away from the alley, his limbs trembling, occasionally  
pausing to spew up more blood from Chun-Li's devastating attack. He craned his neck back to look  
one last time at the hotel, and hear the sobs of the girl he loved. Staggering to his feet, his  
jacket soaked in gore, he stumbled away from the village, and into the mountains.  
  
*****  
  
Vega hurried back to the place he had been staying and hurriedly opened the door. The room was  
still in the condition he had left it in. Quickly he gathered the things he needed and stuffed them  
into his pockets. He made one final check to see if everything was as it should be, then made his  
way outside and through the town.  
  
Ryu was boiling with fury as he strode across the path through the village, searching for Charlie.  
He wouldn't let him get away with this; this was the last straw. After he had calmed her down  
slightly, he had escorted her to her room to get changed, and they had arranged to meet at Ken's  
present living quarters after she was ready. He had told Cody to go there and wait for him to  
arrive. That is, after he had found Charlie. He was staring down at the path thinking of the night's  
events, when a slender figure bumped into him, knocking him sideways. Ryu quickly got to his feet  
and stared after the man who was cloaked, but wore one distinguishing feature - claws on his hands!  
It must have been Vega... Ryu hurriedly gave chase, when Vega turned his head, noticing his  
pursuer. He quickly broke into a sprint and Ryu was now without doubt that it was the Shadaloo  
assassin - he had seen the mask as he had turned. Vega led him through the village, occassionally  
turning into alleys to lose him, but without any luck. Although Vega was much faster than Ryu, Ryu  
had learnt the area well, and he had one trump card up his sleeve.  
  
Breaking away from the crowded streets, Vega came to the empty arena where the tournament had been  
held. He dashed towards the ring, where just beyond was the edge of town, and the mountains where  
he would flee to. Before he could reach the ring however, a blue ball of light ripped through the  
air towards him, forcing him to sidestep to narrowly avoid it. Vega toppled over, then quickly  
flipped onto his feet to face Ryu. Ryu walked towards Vega and clenched his fists, assuming a  
fighting position.  
  
"Vega..." he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. Vega smiled from behind his mask.  
  
"Well, well, well..." he began. "I never did get around to fighting you, did I?" Ryu stayed silent,  
his eyes fixed on the opponent. "I would have much rather tangled with your female friend, mind  
you."  
  
"You leave her out of this!!" Ryu cried, launching another fireball towards Vega, who leapt over  
it, allowing it to sail into a corner of the fighter's temporary home.  
  
"Looks like I've hit a nerve..." Vega giggled, raising his claw to shield his face, readying  
himself for battle. "I'll fight you... But only one-on-one. Got it?"  
  
"Deal." Ryu replied. There was a moment of silence as the two faced off, then Vega leapt towards  
Ryu, clawing at him. Ryu rolled backwards to evade the assault, then jumped towards his adversary.  
Vega responded by jumping up to meet him in mid-air, then slashing at him again with his right  
claw. Ryu narrowly escaped, and answered with a kick to Vega's head. Vega fell but had no time to  
roll to safety as Ryu immediately landed and aimed a punch at his gut. Vega grabbed his fist and  
kicked him up into the air, sending him towards the fighter's house. Ryu managed to regain control  
and landed on the roof, feet first. He shot another fireball towards Vega, who climbed up onto the  
wall of one of the houses opposite. Using his long legs to propel himself in the air, he launched  
himself at Ryu, then slashed his two claws against his defending arms. The metal had torn at the  
fabric covering his arms, allowing the newly spilt blood to seep through. Vega aimed his right  
fist at Ryu's stomach, who managed to sidestep the claws and counter with a hurricane kick. He  
jumped up into the air, spinning around and kicking Vega in the face three times, throwing him off  
balance and causing him to fall from the roof, landing in the dusty ground below. He jumped back  
to his feet, breathing heavily and stared up at Ryu, who stared back from above the roof.  
  
"Ryu!" a female voice called from behind Vega. Ryu looked up and was horrified to see Chun-Li  
appear from behind the alley. She soon noticed Vega, but it was too late.  
  
"Chun-Li!" Ryu called. "Get out of here!" Vega laughed and leapt towards her, sweep kicking her  
to the ground and putting his claws to her throat.  
  
"Stay there or the girl gets it!" Vega warned, brushing the steel against her throat affectionately.  
  
"I thought you said it was just you and me?" Ryu responded. Vega grabbed Chun-Li by the throat  
and dragged her up to her feet, holding her arms forcefully.  
  
"I lied!" he shouted in response, applying more pressure to Chun-Li's arms. "Now surrender before  
I snap her in two!" Ryu clenched his fist in anger. He knew he couldn't trust Vega, but Chun-Li  
was all that mattered right now.  
  
"...I..." he stammered. Vega motioned his claws to her throat again. "...Okay! I surrender...  
Now just hand her over to me!"  
  
"I don't think so!" Vega laughed. "You fool, do you really think I'd hand her over that easily!?"  
  
"Dammit!" Ryu cried, preparing to launch himself at Vega.  
  
"Uh, uh, uh!" Vega taunted. "Make one wrong move and my claws will have a new red finish..." Ryu  
growled, as he began to think how weak he really was. He could fight a million people, yet he  
couldn't save the one person he cared about most right when she needed it. "I'll be taking this  
beauty with me... Now turn around and I'll take my leave."  
  
"I don't think so!" a new voice interrupted, grabbing Vega's arms and allowing Chun-Li to escape  
his clutches. Ryu looked just behind Vega to see Cody suppressing the assassin.  
  
"What...?" Vega grunted in surprise. "How the...!?" Cody smiled and applied more pressure to Vega's  
arms.  
  
"Remember me?" he whispered into Vega's ear. Chun-Li rushed over to Ryu, who had just jumped down  
from the rooftop, ready to approach Vega.  
  
"Are you alright, Ryu?" she asked. Ryu nodded, then walked towards Vega.  
  
"You are foolish!" Vega laughed, pushing against the restraint of Cody's arms, launching his  
captor into the air and against the wall of the fighter's house. He dashed towards Ryu. "And now  
for you!!" he screamed, raising his right hand to rain his claws down into Ryu. Ryu slid onto his  
back and kicked Vega in the stomach, pushing him up into the air. Quickly, Chun-Li ran behind him  
and waited for him to land. Within her palms she began to generate energy, then unleashed it in  
the form of a huge energy ball nearly twice her size, which burned into Vega's back, throwing him  
back up into the air. "No! ...How!?" he cried as he began to plummet towards the waiting Ryu  
head-first. Ryu had his hands at his sides, already forming energy into a small, but bright, blue  
ball of light.   
  
Suddenly he pushed his hands towards the falling Vega, as they released a huge fireball of blue  
energy.  
  
"Shinku Hadoken!!" Ryu shouted as the energy smashed into his opponent's face, ripping the mask  
from him and sending him crashing into the ground. There was silence as both Ryu and Chun-Li  
watched Vega's smoking body for any signs of activity. When it remained silent, they both breathed  
a sigh of relief, Chun-Li handcuffing the unconcious fighter. Cody climbed to his feet, stunned  
at what he had just witnessed.  
  
"You know, you two make a great team..." he commented, causing Ryu to blush.  
  
"Thanks for everything Ryu." Chun-Li said, smiling. "We couldn't have done it without you."  
  
"Anytime." he replied, smiling back.  
  
"Oh, and don't worry about paying me." Cody interrupted. "I think the experience was worth more..."  
Chun-Li and Ryu both laughed.  
  
"Don't worry." she assured him. "You were a great help. I won't turn you in." Cody thanked her.  
  
"I'll leave in the morning." Cody informed them, heading back into the fighter's house. Chun-Li  
began to walk over to the sleeping Vega, when Ryu called over to her.  
  
"Um... Chun-Li..." he murmered. She looked back at him. "Will we... Will we see each other...  
Again?" Chun-Li smiled in response, then took a scrap of paper from her pocket and scribbled  
something down on it with a pen. She walked over and handed it to him.  
  
"Next time you're in China... Call me." Ryu took the scrap of paper and stared at it for a  
moment before pocketing it. He walked into the tournament house where Cody was standing inside,  
gazing at the wall opposite him.  
  
"Did you ever find Charlie?" he asked. Ryu shook his head and stared back outside. He would  
rather just forget about him. "Hmm..." Cody pondered. "I wonder where he could be..."  
  
*****  
  
A weary Charlie headed further down into the mountains, where he saw a small open plain. There  
were a few trees scattered around and the sky seemed to have changed into a dark purple; a  
menacing storm was raging above him and rain began to fall to the ground. He fell to his knees  
and stared at the dirt below him. Perhaps it was the pain he had endured that made him want to  
take revenge. Perhaps it was the thought of a missed opportunity. Or perhaps, it was just his  
blind anger. Whatever the case, Charlie would do it, no matter what the sacrifice. He looked up as  
he began to hear laughter, getting louder and louder. He saw a man standing above him, staring  
down, somewhat delighted at what he saw. He wore an impressive red uniform with a variety of gold  
medals and emblems attached, and a red hat bearing a winged eagle at it's front. Charlie slowly  
climbed to his feet and smiled.  
  
"Bison..."  
  
~FIN~ 


End file.
